Eugen beisz



EL WEISZ.

RELAY FOR UNDULATORY CURRENTS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1914.

1,322,503. w Patented Nov. 18 1919.

x h Z1 77; Ben s/Z EUGEN REISZ. OF BERLIN, GERMANY RELAY FOR UNDULATORY CURRENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,918. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGEN Rnrsz, subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays for Undulatory Currents, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to relays for undulatory currents and more particularly to relays of the kind described for instance in U. S. Patent No. 1,038,910. In relays of this kind the reinforcement is obtained by means of an exhausted discharge tube comprising a cathode heated to incandescence, for instance a Wehnelt cathode which together with an anode is included in a local circuit, while the line currents are superposed to a constant voltage applied to an auxiliary electrode, arranged between the cathode and the anode. This auxiliary electrode consists of a metal sheet provided with perforations or of a grid or the like.

Now we have found that in relays of the.

kind specified an extraordinary increase of the relay action that is of the ratio of reproduction and of the sensitivity of the relay may be obtained, if certain conditions hereinafter fully discussed are fulfilled.

These conditions mainly reside in a due relation between the size of the openings in the auxiliary electrode and the potential applied to the same. This potential furthermore must be in proper relation to the current intensity of the local current passing between the cathodeand the anode and to the potentials applied to the heating circuit of the cathode.

So it has been found that the sensitivity of the relay increases with increasing size of the openings in the auxiliary electrode and.

with decreasing potential applied to the same. The size of such openings is however to be kept within certain limits, which are determined by the intensity of the current passing through the discharge tube between the cathode and the anode. The larger the size of the openings is made, the smaller the intensity of current must be chosen, as it would not be possible to maintain a dark space at the auxiliary electrode which is essential for the workmgof the relay, if the cathode.

' Of course in suc In Jthis ilatter case the tube trode must be such that this potential keeps as closely as possible near the value of the potential applied to the negative terminal ofthe cathode; with such adjustment of the potential at the auxiliary electrode as has been found they sensitivity of the relay reaches its maximum value.

In some cases however .it is necessary to use currents of large intensity. Then the size of the openings as has been pointed out previously must decrease and thereby also the sensitivity decreases. A second maximum of the sensitivity which though not equal to the maximum above referred to, but not very much differing from it in the practical use, is then reached, if the potential applied to the auxiliary electrode is raised so that it approaches or even equals the potential applied to the positive terminal of the heating circuit of the cathode.

In some cases in which the current intensity in the tube reaches a very great value and in which therefore the openings must be very small, the potential applied to the auxiliary electrode may even have a value which exceeds that of the positive terminal of the This latter case occurs especially with arrangements in which a very loud restance with loud speaking telephone arrangements or with apparatus of command I (on ships or the like) and in some instances in Wireless telegra hy and telephony.

7 cases the sensitivity of the auxiliary electrode with regard to fluctuations of the voltage must decrease as the percentage rate of the voltage fluctuation relatively to the intensity of the current flowing to the anode in the tube is smaller than with smaller intensities.

The amount of electric energy, however,

which is subjected to fluctuations is very high, as the intensity of the current passing through the discharge tube is high and therefore, in spite of the decrease of the sensitivity of the relay, the desired effect will be obtained.-

By the application of the present invention to relays of the kind mentioned the other working conditions of the relay such as the vacuum'necessary, the use of vapors or gases in the tube, the temperature, etc., will not be affected and can therefore remain unaltered. In the drawing the invention is represented diagrammatically:

Figures 1 and 2 showing a constructional form of a relay and the connections, Figs. 3 showing a diagram.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the anode, K the heated cathode which may be a Wehnel cathode, H the auxiliary electrode. The cat ode K and the anode A are embodied in a local circuit containing a transformer P, the secondary of which is connected with a telephone T or other apparatus of reproduction. The line L is connected by means of a second transformer S to the circuit of the auxiliary electrode. This circuit is connected at a suitable point C to the resistance R, which is inserted between the positive and the negative mains of the local circuit. To this resistance also the positive terminal of the heating circuit of the cathode is connected at some suitable point. The larger the openings in the auxiliary electrode are made the more the contact O of said electrode must be shifted to the left, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that the potential applied to said'auxiliary electrode approaches as closely as possible the potential existing at the negative side of the cathode circuit. It is to be understood from the above explanations that the intensity of the local circuit in this case mustalso be comparatively small.

If the auxiliary electrode is only provided with small openings in order to work the relay with currents of very great intensities, then the contact C assumes a position near the point at which the positive terminal of the heating circuit of the cathode is connected to the resistance. In the instance given in Fig. 1 it is even assumed that the current intensity is very high so that the point C is situated at the right of the positive contact point of the cathode and has therefore a higher potential than this point.

In Fig. 3 the increase of the sensitivity of the relay is illustrated; as shown the increase of the potential drop 4) in the local circuit increases in a very rapid manner, if the charge m of the auxiliary electrode fluctuates only very little as between the points 1 and n.

The practical value of the invention lies cathode and the auxiliary so as to have a definite amount of sensitivity and is to be used with definite current strengths. Also the potential .drop of the cathode may thereby be definitely chosen with respect to the potential ofv the auxlhary electrode, so as to obtain. the maximum sensitivit and the best relay action.

If urthermore a very small potential is applied to the auxiliary electrode the res1stance obtained in the space between the electrode is rendered very-high and it is thus possible to obtain a ratio of transformation between the windings of the transformer S which is as high as possible. .By these means the rela is rendered very sensitive to very smal fluctuations of the voltage. -Also the loss of current in the gaseous space between the cathode and the auxiliary electrode is reprising a discharge tube provided with a cathode having means for supplying it with current to heat it to incandescence, an anode, an auxiliary electrode formed with apertures between said cathode and anode, and 3 means to supply said cathode and anode with a discharge current, which consists in applying a potential to said auxiliary elec trode, varying the value of said potential so that it approaches the value of the potential at the negative terminal of the cathode in proportion as the size of the apertures 1ncreases and as the intensity of the discharge current decreases.

2. The herein described method of operatin a relay for undulatory currents, comprising a discharge tube provided with a cathode having means for supplying current thereto to heat it to incandescence, an anode, an auxiliary electrode formed with apertures between said cathode and anode, and means to supply the cathode and the anode with a discharge current, which con-' sists in applying a potential to the auxiliary electrode, varying the value of said potential so that it approaches the value of the potential at the positive terminal of the cathode in proportion as the 'size of the apertures decreases and as the intensity of the discharge current increases.

trode, varying the value of said potential In testimony whereof I have hereunto set so that it exceeds the value of the potentlal my hand in presence of two subscribing wlt- 10 at the positive terminal of the cathode in nesses.

proportion as the size of the apertures in the same is greatly decreased beyond a certaln EUGEN REISZ' amount and the intensity of the discharge Witnesses:

current is highly increased beyond a certain HENRY HASPER,

value. WOLDEMAR HAUPT. 

